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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- You can capture a full web page in Chrome for free on desktop and mobile.
- Desktop, iPhone, and Android each have different built-in tools available.
- A PDF works, but images are cleaner for long, scrolling captures.
If you take screenshots constantly, as I do, you’ve probably noticed that a typical screenshot only captures what is visible on your screen at that moment, including in Chrome. Sometimes, though, you need the full web page. Don’t take multiple screenshots and try to stitch them together in a photo editor. There’s a much easier way to capture everything.
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Whether you are using Chrome on a desktop or on your iPhone or Android phone, you can take a full-page screenshot, also known as a long screenshot, scrolling screenshot, or extended capture. Whatever you happen to call it, they all mean the same thing: one single screenshot that shows the entire web page, even the parts you have to scroll to see.
Some third-party tools let you do this and may ask you to pay, but don’t bother with them. You can do it for free using Chrome or your system’s built-in tools. Here’s how.
How to take a full-page screenshot in Chrome on desktop
In Chrome on your Mac, Windows, or Linux PC, you have two options. Sort of. The second option creates a PDF document rather than a single scrolling image. Still, I figured it’s worth mentioning in case that’s what you need.
Chrome on desktop includes a free, built-in tool that can capture an entire webpage as a single image. You can find it in Developer Tools.
- Open the web page you want to capture in Chrome. Before capturing, close pop-ups and dismiss cookie banners; otherwise, they may appear in your final image.
- Open Chrome Developer Tools. On Windows or Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + I or F12. On Mac, press Command + Option + I.
- Open the Command Menu. On Windows or Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + P. On Mac, press Command + Shift + P.
- Type “screenshot,” then select Capture full-size screenshot.
Chrome will automatically download a PNG image of the entire page.
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If you prefer a document instead of a PNG image, such as for sharing, printing, or archiving, Chrome can save the entire page as a PDF via the Print menu. This still counts as a full-page capture, but you will end up with multiple pages, and the site layout may look a little odd if it includes many images, ads, or repeated menu or footer links.
- Open the web page in Chrome.
- Open the Print menu. Press Ctrl + P on Windows or Linux, or Command + P on macOS.
- Set Destination to Save as PDF.
- Open More settings and enable Background graphics if you want colors and images included.
- Click Save.
On a Mac, you can open the PDF in the Preview app, then go to File > Export and save the format as a PNG or JPEG if you want to later convert the entire document into multiple images.
How to take a full-page screenshot in Chrome on iPhone
Using Chrome on your iPhone? No worries. You again have a couple of options.
Chrome doesn’t have a built-in option on iPhone for taking full-page screenshots, but Apple’s iOS system does, thankfully. Although it saves the capture as a PDF, you get a very clean result, with no visible page breaks or odd formatting. It’s essentially a single scrolling document, which you can later convert into an image.
- Take a regular screenshot by pressing the side button and the volume up button on your phone.
- If full-screen screenshot previews are enabled, look for the Full Page option at the top right of the preview. Tap it, then tap the check mark to save the capture to Photos or Files.
- If full-screen previews are not enabled, quickly tap the screenshot preview that appears in the corner of the screen, select the Full Page option, and tap Done.
- You can mark up and edit the full-size capture before saving it.
To convert the PDF into an image, open the document in Files > tap the down arrow next to its title > choose Export > and save as a PNG or JPEG. You’ll get a single scrolling image rather than a PDF document.
Also: How to take long scrolling screenshots on your iPhone or Android – it’s easy
Like on desktop, you can use Chrome’s Print menu on your iPhone to save a web page as a PDF. Again, this is technically a full-page capture, but you will end up with a multi-page document, not a single scrolling image.
- Open the web page in Chrome.
- Tap the Share icon in the URL field and choose Print.
- Tap the Share icon again in Print options, then save the PDF to Files or share it.
Unfortunately, you can’t later open the PDF in Files, zoom out to see the entire document in full, and then export the entire thing as a single scrolling image. It’ll just save the first page of your PDF document as an image.
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How to take a scrolling screenshot in Chrome on Android
Android offers better support for scrolling screenshots, with Chrome integrating it directly.
Newer versions of Chrome on Android include a long screenshot option directly in the browser.
- Open the web page in Chrome.
- Tap the three-dot menu and select Share.
- Choose the Long screenshot option and adjust the capture area to include the entire page.
- Save the image.
If you don’t see the Long screenshot option, your device or Chrome version may not support it.
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Newer Android phones also include a system-level scrolling screenshot option, which lets you capture full-page screenshots in any app, not just Chrome.
- Take a normal screenshot. (For example, on a Pixel, press the power and volume down buttons.)
- Tap the Expand button in the screenshot toolbar. (A thumbnail preview appears with a screenshot toolbar.)
- Adjust the capture length to include the entire page.
- Save the screenshot.
And that’s it!
Also: How to take long scrolling screenshots on your iPhone or Android – it’s easy
Are full-page screenshots and scrolling screenshots the same thing?
Yes. They are different names for the same thing: one capture that includes the entire web page beyond the visible screen.
Why do some pages not capture correctly when saving as a PDF?
Infinite scrolling, image-heavy layouts, ads, repeated menu or footer links, sticky headers, pop-ups, and embedded content can all look garbled when saved as a PDF. This usually happens because the browser is forcing the page into letter-size print layouts, adding page breaks, and trying to format content for printing rather than for on-screen scrolling.
Should I use third-party tools instead?
Sure, if you want.
Also: Why you should delete your browser extensions right now – or do this to stay safe
One browser extension I don’t mind and have tried is GoFullPage. It lets you quickly save full-page screenshots as images and is free, though it offers very limited customization. If you want a more professional tool, TechSmith Snagit costs $39 per year and adds advanced capture options, timers, cursor capture, and multiple output formats. But the free, built-in options work best, in my opinion.
